In early May ten pastors celebrated their graduation from the Pastor Training School in Raxaul, India. They completed a ten-month training, which included theological studies, and training on pastoral care for a congregation. The students were excited for this milestone and Director Albert Das says they are feeling equipped to pastor their churches.

These men and women are following God’s call on their hearts to bring His Word into the darkest of places. ServLife is launching a new Pastor Sponsorship Program that enables those who want to support these pastors to sign up to sponsor them and their church plant. This sponsorship provides for their continued training and oversight of these pastors and encourages them as they do God’s work in difficult areas of the world.

In north Indian states only 1-2% of the population is Christian. These pastors are planting churches in villages where no churches exist. As a result, they often experience opposition from religious extremists and even persecution from the government in their local area. They also face financial issues as they serve in severely impoverished areas with little funding of their own. Unfortunately, only about 5% of U.S. missions giving goes to support the planting of churches in areas where there are none. These pastors are stepping into a gap, trusting God to provide as they build God’s kingdom in these remote and under-served areas. So, as we celebrate these new graduates we are reminded of the urgency of their work and the necessity to support them. We hope you will join us in this partnership.